Review: Foe

Foe by Iain Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I learned that if you are a writer, do not produce a work of literary genius. Ever. Do not do it. Casually pump out middle of the road, decently well written, mildly entertaining and semi-original plotlines that appeal to the masses. Be that person we all work with - clock in a few minutes late everyday, check Facebook every hour on the hour, take extended lunch breaks, refuse to stay a minute past 5pm - but do just enough of your actual job to avoid being fired. The classic mediocre American employee.

Whatever you do, do NOT pen something as unmistakably eerie, astoundingly original and fantastically thought provoking as 'I'm Thinking of Ending Things', because no matter what comes next, it could be the second coming of the little baby Jesus Christ or that amazing moment in 2007 when Britney Spears shaved her own head, it will pale in comparison. Whatever you write next will not hold a candle to it. Some things are THAT good (sorry, Britney).

Now I also hate myself a little bit for being one of the douchebags out here comparing this novel to it's predecessor, but I couldn't stop myself (I have never been one for self control). Because on it's own, Foe isn't bad. It's actually quite good, and it likely carries a much deeper message than what the actual words on the pages tell us.

If I know Ian Reid at all (I don't), I know he wouldn't simply jot down a quasi- futuristic "AI's will eventually take over the world" storyline and leave it at that. I refuse to believe that there aren't cleverly hidden clues and potentially mind shattering revelations that I might not have fully caught or comprehended upon first glance. On the surface, this novel reads pretty straight forward, and while that's not a bad thing, I needed more. And I feel like I was given more, I was just too obsessed with trying to make this into a reboot of ITOET that I stubbornly missed it. Ian loves us too much not to give us that. Right? I'm onto something, Ian, right? ...Right?......

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